1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to support benches such as utilized during body toning, weight training, and other therapeutic activities and, more particularly, to a portable, fully-articulated, multi-purpose bench.
2. Description of the Background
Many different activities such as body toning, weight training, weight-lifting, and other therapeutic and/or athletic activities require the use of a supporting structure capable of supporting the body in a variety of positions. For example, for an effective workout a weight lifter must exercise all major muscle groups by placing themself in a variety of positions ranging from flat-on-his/her-stomach, to reclining, to flat-on-his/her-back, and all at a height that provides a full range of arm or leg motion. Similarly, many body toning exercises, aerobic programs, rehabilitative, and therapeutic activities require the participant to position himself/herself in a variety of seated or lying positions at various angles.
The present inventor is not the first to address the issue of supporting the body during therapy or exercise. A massage-related apparatus is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,271 to Lloyd which discloses a collapsible massage table that has two sides. Each side is supported by a support structure that includes two legs. Various cable lines are used to stabilize the legs when the table is open and upright. The cables also function to automate or semi-automate leg, brace and truss extension and/or folding during opening and collapsing processes.
Additionally, there are other apparatus, primarily associated with weightlifting exercises, designed to support the body in a variety of positions. One variation on this theme is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,616 to Wolff which discloses a workout bench for exercising that includes weightlifting and other bench oriented exercises. A barbell rack is positioned at one end and a laterally extending frame member provides support for a two section bench. The two sections of the bench are mounted on a slider that slides along the length of the laterally extending frame member and can be adjusted and held in any desired position along this length. The bench sections are hinged so that they will both incline, and the position of the hinge is controlled by the slider so that the amount of inclination of the bench back section, which rests against supports on the rack at one end can be changed by sliding the slider to a desired location. The shorter seat bench section can be inclined through the use of a separate support member that will incline the bench at a particular angle and which will move with the slider. The hinge for the bench can be adjusted in position relative to the rack so that barbells supported on the rack can be lifted properly.
A second weightlifting-related apparatus is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,645,196 to Christie. That patent discloses a weightlifter's bench which can be folded into a compact form suitable for storage. The folding feature is provided by a frame made of two facing U-shaped members which can be engaged by bolts which slide within the frame. Two support panels positioned upon the frame are hinged together to facilitate folding and also to permit one panel to be inclined for special exercises. The frame is supported by four legs which pivot about the frame for storage and can be locked into position by brackets pivoted to the legs and adapted to be secured to the underside of the frame. Support posts are provided for a barbell, and leg exercising means may be provided.
A third apparatus is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,960,277 to LaRossa et al. which discloses a light-weight foldable weightlifter's bench. The bench is equipped with adjustable barbell receivers and a positionable back support. A fold up frame supporting a top bench pad can be quickly folded to nearly a flat position for storage such as under a bed. The invention is structured in the form of a foldable frame which supports an attached padded panel in the manner of a slant board. The padded panel is transversely hinged centrally so a back rest section can be raised and lowered according to the requirements of the user. The foldable frame when opened for use has a horizontally positioned generally rectangular pad support frame, simply called a pad frame, which is supported at each end by vertically positioned leg frames.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,882,283 to Stevens discloses yet another foldable weightlifting bench that includes a pair of supporting members, each having a post and a transverse bar connected to a lower end of the post. A first connecting rod and a second connected rod are respectively connected between the two posts and the two transverse bars. A base member is pivotally connected to the first connecting rod and located between the two posts, the base member having a stand pivotally connected thereto. A retractable device pivotally connected between the second connecting rod and the base member. A link pivotally connected between the stand and the retractable device. The base member is pivoted about the first connecting rod and the retractable device is then extended to support the base member positioned at an upright position.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,243 to Isom et al. discloses a multi-adjustable exercise bench having a frame assembly, a back rest pivotally connected to the frame assembly, and a bottom rest pivotally connected at a first pivot to the back rest at a location spaced apart from the pivotal connection of the back rest to the frame assembly and pivotally connected at a second pivot to the frame assembly. Adjustment of the frame assembly to move the back rest from a first angle to a second angle relative to a bench supporting surface automatically moves the bottom rest from a first angle to a second angle relative to the back rest.
Unfortunately, the prior art devices of Lloyd, Wolff, Christie, LaRossa et al., and Stevens possess designs specific to use either for massage or weightlifting purposes. The massage table of Lloyd, while collapsible, does not provide the upper/lower body support in an inclined position required by weightlifting or other exercise programs. The utility of the Wolff, Christie, LaRossa et al., and Stevens devices for non-weightlifting purposes is compromised by the presence of barbell support posts. These vertically extending posts limit access, for example, by a therapist, to an individual lying prone on the surface located there between, and establish a size (i.e. width) restriction for persons intending to use the associated device. The Isom et al. apparatus is not collapsible/foldable and does not provide adjustment of the back rest that is independent of the position of a bottom rest.
In light of the shortcomings of prior art exercise benches, it is desirable to have a relatively simple adjustable exercise bench which can be placed in a horizontal position and which also can provide multiple back rest angles for supporting the body in a variety of non-vertical positions.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,805,409 to Parker issued Oct. 19, 2004, discloses an articulated bench comprising a two-section pad attached to a rectangular frame and two folding/pivoting support leg assemblies. This bench includes a U-shaped support assembly folds out of the frame from beneath the longer of the two pivoting, padded end sections (i.e. the section for supporting the upper body) and is inserted into one of a series of catches located on the section's rear surface to hold it at a selectable incline. The support assembly offers a wide range of user-selectable inclines. However, the main frame remains vertical, and the user attains a variety of non-vertical positions by adjusting the pad inclines. It has been found that an exponentially wider range of inclines is possible by additionally utilizing an improved support leg assembly. An apparatus of this type should also be easily and quickly collapsible to allow for easy storage, lightweight for optimum portability, and economical to manufacture in order to provide for widespread use. It is further desirable to provide a light-weight portable folding bench with extremely sturdy adjustment mechanisms for positioning and locking the back rest in a full spectrum of positions, and for locking the support legs in either an open or folded/collapsed position. The present invention provides all of the above mentioned desirable features in a multi-adjustable multi-purpose bench with improved flexibility and range of positions.